I tried to do the same thing this past winter, since I have a deep kitchen windowsill which faces southwest, and here are my results: Parsley - potted up a patch of it in the fall, and it grew beautifully all winter, and it still looks great. It's the dwarf, extra curled type. Basil - started some seeds in the fall, since the ones in the garden were already bolting, but had a horrible time with fungus gnats, and gave up on it by February. The basil and parsley seem to have similar water needs. Rosemary - brought in my potted rosemary in the fall. I had read somewhere to be careful not to overwater during the winter, and erred too far in the other direction. I believe it died of thirst sometime in February. Thyme - I didn't bring in, since it is supposed to be perennial in my zone, but it did not make it. This year, I will plant some outside, and keep a pot inside to be sure I have some next year. The other one that I wish I had brought in over the winter is the oregano. Yes, it is perennial in my zone, but I didn't take into account that it would die back, and I would be without fresh oregano for six months! I'm starting some more from seed to grow indoors this time. Wishing you much success, Bonnie

George, Last year was kind of a weird year for WSing for me because things that were normally easy to germinate didn't easily last year and some that are said to be more difficult germ'd with no problems. So take heart. It could work different for you this year, even while doing exactly what you did last year :-) Specifically what kind of problems did you have? That being said of your list, this is my experience: Oregano, Chives, Tarragon are all perennial to Zone 5. WS it now. You won't get as big a plant this year as the next. Basils- It is probably the very last thing I WS because the seedlings are very sensitive to cold. I personally wait until late March or the beginning of April to sow, or I do two batches (one early, one late) just in case. Last year I tried different types, and I learned that the type of basil it is makes a difference. Before last year, Lemon Dani was the one basil that performed well in my yard, but it really isn't the kind of basil I like to eat (and the leaves are too small). So last year, I did Nufar, DiGenova, Genovese, and Lettuce Leaf. The Lettuce Leaf Basil WSed like Lettuce-- it germinated very early, weeks before the others. And then, a plus: I was harvesting from healthy, huge plants the entire growing season. Marjoram is an annual around here--unfortunately :-( It is a little hardier than basil, it seems, but I sow it around the same time as I do basil (March-April). Parsley... . I have not solved my Parsley problem. They germ, but don't grow big enough to harvest. I'm still struggling on this one. Sage, it germs for me, but I can't keep it alive past one season. I've already sown mine, on the Solstice (Dec 21). Shiso...I tried it last year and didn't get any until really late. But it was my first year's experience with it. PS: Tarragon...watch out when it does germ, because you will be chopping it down several times in the season to get it under control (Whew...I feel like I just wrote a paper...time for another cup of coffee) Linda

For the cutworms, it is easier to prevent the damage via the use of cutworm collars or sticks than to stop damage once it starts. When I say sticks, I generally mean toothpicks, although you can even use twigs. When I transplant seedlings into the ground, I put toothpicks on two sides of the stems, with half the toothpick below ground and half above ground. This largely interferes with the cutworm wrapping itself around the whole stem and cutting it in half. When climbing cutworms are an issue, I use bamboo skewers since they are so much taller and the climbing cutworms can climb above the toothpicks. However, the sticks will not keep cutworms from eating the plants even if they cannot cut them in half. I've linked a page from Planet Natural that explains cutworms and how you can treat your garden for them. There is a lot of good info there. Because climbing cutworms are a huge issue this year here, along with other caterpillar damage, you could spray your plants with Bt 'Kurstaki' if you can find it in stores. It is largely sold out where I live, but I found some in a farm store a couple of days ago. If you use it, try to keep it off your flowers or it can harm the butterflies that visit the flowers. The Bt will not prevent cutworms from killing tiny seedlings. However, if they are climbing cutworms and are climbing and feeding on plants, it should put a stop to that. If the loss of the California Bell plant is recent, dig into the soil just below the surface where the California Bell plant was growing to see if you can find and destroy the specific worm that got it. Earlier this week, I ordered trichogramma wasps to release. They should arrive around Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. On Thursday I saw the first 'native' trichogramma wasp in my garden that I've seen this spring. I'm not sorry I ordered more of them though because the one I saw cannot possibly deal with all the caterpillars we have here this year. In the meantime, I am going to spray my plants with Bt this evening. I've never seen caterpillar/cutworm damage like I'm seeing this year. In fact, if you took all the damage I've seen in 13 prior years and added it together, this year's damage would be greater than all the prior damage from those 13 years. White grubs generally are not an issue as long as they are not damaging your grass. They are beetle larvae and most ground beetles are beneficial insects who are garden helpers. I tend to ignore the white grubs. If they bother you, you can treat the ground with Milky Spore powder, which is a natural agent that kills them. Applying beneficial nematodes to areas with soil-borne pests is a slower-working solution if the nematodes are applied to moist soil before the heat arrives, but they are not a short-term solution. Bugs and insects are a natural part of the garden ecosystem. There are many good bugs and insects that help control the bad ones and do other important garden tasks as well, so maybe you could develop a liking for those! Dawn Here is a link that might be useful: Cutworm Control Page from Planet Natural

I'm quite sure after reading this thread that i have an answer for my early girls, which are all doing this thick leaf stem growing upwards and twisting (more like a sucker would do), with large, thick leaves that are also turning upwards and rolling/twisting. There is zero discoloration or otherwise poor health indications, i grow in the middle of 50 acres, totally organically, my own compost used, mulched with wood chips a year old from within the property. I've used zero pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. Just compost, coco coir, water and my seedlings. They aren't stunted, are growing quite fast actually but, here in Northern California in the Sierra Nevada mountains we've seen record breaking temps between 90-105 for a few weeks straight now and I'm pretty certain my plants are just tired of baking. I'm hanging shade cloth tomorrow and will post pictures as well because it's quite bizarre how hearty they are but growing like an upside down tipi (and it's only my early girls doing this, the other varieties are all fine.)